Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) - Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2002)

Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008) z Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2002)

	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2008)	Heard Island and McDonald Islands (2002)

Area	total: 3,903 sq km land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands	total: 412 sq km land: 412 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Rhode Island	slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Background	The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.	These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.
Climate	variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow	antarctic
Coastline	NA km	101.9 km
Country name	conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none abbreviation: SGSSI	conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II	territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment and Heritage
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)	none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)	none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international	Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force	none
Economy - overview	Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.	No indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government allows limited fishing around the islands.
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m	lowest point: Southern Ocean 0 m highest point: Big Ben 2,745 m
Environment - current issues	NA	NA
Flag description	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)	the flag of Australia is used
Geographic coordinates	54 30 S, 37 00 W	53 06 S, 72 31 E
Geography - note	the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia	-
Irrigated land	0 sq km	0 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court	the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Location	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America	Southern Africa, islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica
Map references	Antarctic Region	Antarctic Region
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK	defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts fisheries patrols
Natural hazards	the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism	Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Natural resources	fish	fish
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001 replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited	uninhabited (July 2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	none; offshore anchorage only
Radio broadcast stations	0 (2003)	-
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken	-
Television broadcast stations	0 (2003)	-
Terrain	most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes	Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak); McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Waterways	-	none

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